ID :
21279
Fri, 09/26/2008 - 00:12
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/21279
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News Focus: RI SUCCEEDS IN SLIGHTLY REDUCING NUMBER OF ILLEGAL WORKERS
By Eliswan Azly
Jakarta, Sept 25 (ANTARA) - Indonesia's concerted effort to minimize the flow of illegal workers has yielded a positive result as shown by a decline in the number of those going abroad without any working permit.
This was however inseparable from the regulations and protection schemes the government had promoted with the countries employing Indonesian workers abroad in addition to the strong sanctions imposed on companies proven to have sent workers abroad illegally, Manpower and Transmigration Minister Erman Suparno said recently.
The efforts made by the government with many countries such as Malaysia and other governments had already begun to show positive results as the proportion of illegal workers in the overall number of Indonesians going abroad to work had dropped, he said.
"Some time ago, 75 percent of those going abroad to work were illegals but now the number has dropped to 60 percent," Suparno said.
Furthermore, the minister said he had asked regional administrations to select people intending to work abroad tightly and supervise the process of sending them overseas.
According to him, the selection had to be done carefully to ensure that only legal workers were sent abroad. "Thereby, we can decrease the number of illegal workers."
The government was also trying to protect migrant workers through bilateral agreements, working agreements, insurance and legal protection.
"We have concluded cooperation agreements with workers' destination countries so that we can easily solve any problems the workers may meet," he said, adding that the government would provide the same protection to legal and illegal workers.
Crackdowns on irresponsible manpower supply and placement agencies in cooperation with the destination countries also contributed to a decline in the sending of workers through illegal mechanism, Said Nizar, an expert on international law, said.
However, the government of Indonesia should intensify cooperation with foreign governments in punishing naughty manpower supply and placement agencies which could maintain their outlawed operations because of collaboration with foreign partners.
Therefore, the government's intensive efforts to cooperate with destination countries of Indonesian workers had to be made in terminating the links between the naughty domestic manpower suppliers and their foreign partners by imposing strong sanctions on them, Nizar said.
In the past, the government was under fire for some time over its perceived failure to protect Indonesian workers overseas, while it in turn had blamed workers for going abroad through illegal avenues and unofficial work agencies.
But, now the criticism was still filed to the Indonesian manpower ministry for some cases of torture and murder of Indonesian workers abroad.
Malaysian Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim in a press conference last month at the Habibie Center urged Indonesia to be little bit terse in responding to torture cases befalling their citizens especially the workers in foreign countries.
It was up to Indonesia to issue such a policy that might match its interest in protecting its workers abroad. "But I prefer to recommend that the government of Indonesia adopt a clear stance on matters relating to the fate of Indonesian workers in terms of justice," Anwar said.
It is in the context of upholding justice for the citizens studying and working abroad, a special staffer of the Speaker of the House of Representatives on international relations, Jerry AK Sambuaga, said last week it was important for Indonesia to maximize protection of its nationals in foreign countries.
"The government`s institution which is posted to do the work must be urged to maximize its function in helping Indonesian citizens abroad to have their rights, as what Anwar Ibrahim has recommended," said the young politician from Functional Group (Golkar) party during an interview.
Jeryy who is also a lecturer on international relations at the University of Indonesia made the statements in response to several rights violation cases which happenend to Indonesian students and worker abroad. The most recent case happened in Hongkong.
On a separate occasion, an artist, musician as well as Indonesian people and social observer, Franky Sahilatua, deplored the cruelty of Indonesia Embassy`s security officers in Hongkong towards nine Indonesian female workers there.
"They were arrested and got ill treatment which caused them to suffer body injuries," he said.
Based on valid data he had received, Franky stated that the nine workers who were also members of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union (IMWU) were arrested for a problem.
"Four of them were mistreated. They have bruises and wounds in some parts of their bodies. The perpetrators of this cruelty were Indonesia Embassy`s security personnael in Hongkong," Franky said.
"When investigated more, I got an information that the workers were badly treated as they had a banner saying `stop under payment`," he said
The migrant workers carried the pamphlet when indonesia`s minister of manpower and transmigration, Erman Suparno, were giving his speech in Queen Elizabeth building. The occasion itself was held by Indonesia Embassy in Hongkong on Sunday morning.
Franky also confirmed several names of the nine workers, they are Sri Mintarti (general secretary of IMWU), Santi Yustiani, Anti Pristiwahyudi, Sahlan, Toiman Maryani, Luluh Respati, Ganes Prakasiwi, Anggita Rizki, Emiati, and Ganes.
Therefore, Franky on the behalf of Indonesian Migrant Workers fulminated the cruelty befalling the nine Indonesian workers, during which Indonesia embassy`s securities in Hongkong were involved in this case.
Looking at the incident and also other cases happened to Indonesian migrant workers abroad, Jerry Sambuaga once again stated the importance of the government`s changing attitude to have a fast action to protect the rights of Indonesian citizen abroad.
"The House of Representatives must also do a tight control towards the executive that the protection and life assurance of our citizen abroad can be better, no matter what the activities are, we hope it can work well. Therefore, our citizen abroad can get more respect by the host country where they live at," Jerry said.
The second child of a senior politician from Golkar Party (Theo L Sambuaga) stated his concern about several violences happening to the Indonesian citizen abroad because there were tendencies that the government was not serious or distinct in handling the cases.
Jakarta, Sept 25 (ANTARA) - Indonesia's concerted effort to minimize the flow of illegal workers has yielded a positive result as shown by a decline in the number of those going abroad without any working permit.
This was however inseparable from the regulations and protection schemes the government had promoted with the countries employing Indonesian workers abroad in addition to the strong sanctions imposed on companies proven to have sent workers abroad illegally, Manpower and Transmigration Minister Erman Suparno said recently.
The efforts made by the government with many countries such as Malaysia and other governments had already begun to show positive results as the proportion of illegal workers in the overall number of Indonesians going abroad to work had dropped, he said.
"Some time ago, 75 percent of those going abroad to work were illegals but now the number has dropped to 60 percent," Suparno said.
Furthermore, the minister said he had asked regional administrations to select people intending to work abroad tightly and supervise the process of sending them overseas.
According to him, the selection had to be done carefully to ensure that only legal workers were sent abroad. "Thereby, we can decrease the number of illegal workers."
The government was also trying to protect migrant workers through bilateral agreements, working agreements, insurance and legal protection.
"We have concluded cooperation agreements with workers' destination countries so that we can easily solve any problems the workers may meet," he said, adding that the government would provide the same protection to legal and illegal workers.
Crackdowns on irresponsible manpower supply and placement agencies in cooperation with the destination countries also contributed to a decline in the sending of workers through illegal mechanism, Said Nizar, an expert on international law, said.
However, the government of Indonesia should intensify cooperation with foreign governments in punishing naughty manpower supply and placement agencies which could maintain their outlawed operations because of collaboration with foreign partners.
Therefore, the government's intensive efforts to cooperate with destination countries of Indonesian workers had to be made in terminating the links between the naughty domestic manpower suppliers and their foreign partners by imposing strong sanctions on them, Nizar said.
In the past, the government was under fire for some time over its perceived failure to protect Indonesian workers overseas, while it in turn had blamed workers for going abroad through illegal avenues and unofficial work agencies.
But, now the criticism was still filed to the Indonesian manpower ministry for some cases of torture and murder of Indonesian workers abroad.
Malaysian Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim in a press conference last month at the Habibie Center urged Indonesia to be little bit terse in responding to torture cases befalling their citizens especially the workers in foreign countries.
It was up to Indonesia to issue such a policy that might match its interest in protecting its workers abroad. "But I prefer to recommend that the government of Indonesia adopt a clear stance on matters relating to the fate of Indonesian workers in terms of justice," Anwar said.
It is in the context of upholding justice for the citizens studying and working abroad, a special staffer of the Speaker of the House of Representatives on international relations, Jerry AK Sambuaga, said last week it was important for Indonesia to maximize protection of its nationals in foreign countries.
"The government`s institution which is posted to do the work must be urged to maximize its function in helping Indonesian citizens abroad to have their rights, as what Anwar Ibrahim has recommended," said the young politician from Functional Group (Golkar) party during an interview.
Jeryy who is also a lecturer on international relations at the University of Indonesia made the statements in response to several rights violation cases which happenend to Indonesian students and worker abroad. The most recent case happened in Hongkong.
On a separate occasion, an artist, musician as well as Indonesian people and social observer, Franky Sahilatua, deplored the cruelty of Indonesia Embassy`s security officers in Hongkong towards nine Indonesian female workers there.
"They were arrested and got ill treatment which caused them to suffer body injuries," he said.
Based on valid data he had received, Franky stated that the nine workers who were also members of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union (IMWU) were arrested for a problem.
"Four of them were mistreated. They have bruises and wounds in some parts of their bodies. The perpetrators of this cruelty were Indonesia Embassy`s security personnael in Hongkong," Franky said.
"When investigated more, I got an information that the workers were badly treated as they had a banner saying `stop under payment`," he said
The migrant workers carried the pamphlet when indonesia`s minister of manpower and transmigration, Erman Suparno, were giving his speech in Queen Elizabeth building. The occasion itself was held by Indonesia Embassy in Hongkong on Sunday morning.
Franky also confirmed several names of the nine workers, they are Sri Mintarti (general secretary of IMWU), Santi Yustiani, Anti Pristiwahyudi, Sahlan, Toiman Maryani, Luluh Respati, Ganes Prakasiwi, Anggita Rizki, Emiati, and Ganes.
Therefore, Franky on the behalf of Indonesian Migrant Workers fulminated the cruelty befalling the nine Indonesian workers, during which Indonesia embassy`s securities in Hongkong were involved in this case.
Looking at the incident and also other cases happened to Indonesian migrant workers abroad, Jerry Sambuaga once again stated the importance of the government`s changing attitude to have a fast action to protect the rights of Indonesian citizen abroad.
"The House of Representatives must also do a tight control towards the executive that the protection and life assurance of our citizen abroad can be better, no matter what the activities are, we hope it can work well. Therefore, our citizen abroad can get more respect by the host country where they live at," Jerry said.
The second child of a senior politician from Golkar Party (Theo L Sambuaga) stated his concern about several violences happening to the Indonesian citizen abroad because there were tendencies that the government was not serious or distinct in handling the cases.
